The List Report: Web Edition

Issue# 670: 10th June 2014

What Jack and the Bean Stalk taught us about DM

Offer, acceptance, credibility and timing are at the core of the success of a marketing campaign. Just ask Jack…

I read an interesting story about what it takes to have a successful marketing campaign and used a favourite children’s story to make a point. It went something like this…

You know the story about “Jack and the bean stalk”. Jack traded the family cow for some worthless beans that turned out to be magical.

Let’s explore how that deal went down…

Firstly, the individual has to be open to hearing the offer at all. Jack was bored, disillusioned and aimlessly walking to market. Sure, it was a shady guy on the street, but Jack’s standards were low.

Message: If you want to do business with people with more resources than Jack, it helps to have the trust that comes from previous engagements, and the permission to deliver your message. Sending a message when someone has the capacity and propensity to see and engage can never be under estimated.

Secondly. Jack was in the mood to buy. Creating a mood is far more difficult than finding one.
The person hearing your story has to want to believe it. This is more subtle than it sounds. A new way of doing something or a new product will have to work twice as hard as an established brand. When many people haven’t heard of it or used it, largely because they don’t think they need it, aren’t open to something new, or are unwilling to go through all the steps necessary to engage.

Message: So, even if it works as promised, if there’s no urgent need felt by some, they won’t care. Do whatever you can to create the need, then the urgency and then the trial.

Lastly, you must be able to keep the promise. In Jack’s case, the prospect of escaping his dreary life and getting rid of the annoying cow were both welcome offers. He hoped they’d be true. It has to be true. If not, you’re wasting any ripple effect of your marketing can create and the demand for your product that will result. If the beans hadn’t grown, end of story. Future sales will come when Jack tells his friends…

Message: If you are to have any chance of building something of value, then the product promise has to be delivered.

Whether you are a B2B or B2C marketer, new customers will only come when these three elements are present. Never under estimate the value that will come from building credibility through messaging that invites a trial of your product and a product that delivers on the promise.

Marketing Tip

This month I would like to share with a you a useful guide to email template design. Some of the top designs from a range of brands are here…perhaps it will give you some much needed inspiration. Click here to download. As a bonus please click here to read about ‘Consumer Psychology & eCommerce Design’. The info-graphic talks about, “Why visitors to your website are abandoning their buying intentions”.

Keep those Campaign Briefs coming and I am looking for a challenge…why don’t you ask that burning question about a targeted list of your best prospects…I would love to surprise you with what we can find.

Abramo Ierardo

The LIST Blog delivers the thoughts, opinions and learnings of our Managing Director, Abramo Ierardo. Join him in LinkedIn and read his latest blog.